Presley Martin

The environment around us tells many stories. Of growth and change. Of life and death. Of the plants, animals, humans, fungi, and other elements, that coexist in a given space. Presley Martin, an artist, an amateur mycologist, and a Minnesota water steward, explores these complex relationships by creating art with objects found while exploring local forests and the Mississippi River. Presley lives and works in Minneapolis, and a selection of his work will be featured at ASI alongside Eyes as Big as Plates. 

Presley largely focuses his artistic research on plastic pollution in the Mississippi River. His installation at ASI will include hundreds of pieces of polystyrene foam found in and near the river. The scale and creative use of materials often surprise visitors, sparking curiosity, and highlighting the local impacts of plastic pollution on the local community and beyond. 

Presley’s installation at ASI will also include drawings created with unique ‘mushroom markers’ which use mushrooms as the marker tip and beaver-chewed wood sticks as the handle. These drawings explore new possibilities for native mushrooms that have been used by humans for thousands of years to start fires, sharpen knives, blot up excess ink, and more. The resulting works represent a collaboration of mushroom, ink, paper, work surface, and gesture.

“I hope my work inspires viewers to make an impactful connection that helps to raise awareness of how intimately we share the river habitat with other creatures.” —Presley Martin

Additionally, Mushroom Markers: Fomitopsis betulina, a short documentary by filmmaker Maya Han, will provide a closer look at Presley’s work, process, and the importance of community-based environmental action.  

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About the artists

Presley Martin is an artist who lives and works in Minneapolis. His work questions commonly held assumptions about the environment. Based on countless hours of direct field observations his works take many forms including sculptures, installations, photographs and performances. Presley has an MFA in sculpture from San José State University and a BA in art history from the University of Pittsburgh. He is the recipient of an Artists Initiative grant and a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Maya Han (she/her/우리) a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and filmmaker whose poetic and quietly political works integrate documentary, experimental film, video art and installation to expand the language of moving images, decenter dominant narratives, make visible hidden histories, and create transformative representations of the possible.

Also on view

The exhibition will be on view alongside Eyes as Big as Plates at the American Swedish Institute June 20 to October 25, 2026. Ikonen and Hjorth’s second book, Eyes as Big as Plates 2, will be available in the ASI Museum Store, and FIKA Café will be serving an inspired seasonal menu with dine-in seating available on ASI’s beautiful outdoor patio.